Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me great pleasure to rise here today—both as the member for Bennelong and as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth—to talk about this significant free trade agreement, which is incredibly important for our nation. I'll also confess that I stand here as a former citizen of the European Union and a former French citizen. To be part of a parliament that is prioritising the finalisation of this trade agreement is something I never thought would happen but is something to be really excited about. To finalise this agreement, to open up free trade between Australia and the EU, is incredibly important.

We've heard here today that the current trade agreement between both our continents is outdated and needs to be updated. Thank goodness we've had a change of government so that we can continue on with the progress. You'd have noticed those opposite earlier—they're not here now, and I'm not pointing to you, honourable members—were talking about their record on free trade agreements. But they didn't mention the two huge elephants in the room with regard to the EU trade agreement, which were their terrible and failed climate policy and the disrespect of the previous Prime Minister towards one of our biggest trading partners, and one of the biggest trading partners in Europe: France.

Do you wonder why New Zealand signed their free trade agreement before ours? Because they had a better climate policy than we did. Our free trade agreement with the European Union stalled because of 10 years of division and delay on climate chaos. I will read you a quote from the former European Union ambassador, Dr Pulch:

In Europe, every agreement, whether it's political or economic or trade, needs to be a net plus on climate change.

That would have been a bit of a challenge with the climate change policy that was in place beforehand. Now we have a new government with a more ambitious climate policy, and that helps us enormously. I'll stress that point: without the change of government, this free trade agreement would have stalled—it did stall—and would not have progressed. Now we have a new government that has set climate targets, and the doors are now open to Europe once again. They have gained significant momentum.

We saw, very early on, our new Prime Minister visit the French President to start to repair and reset the relationship—and what a breath of fresh air that was. We can now partner with our European parliaments and colleagues, particularly to help our neighbours here in the Pacific on climate change. The technology that the Europeans have in dealing with climate change and emissions is something that we should be a part of and share with our European colleagues.

We have an unwavering commitment to this free trade agreement, which is something I talk about often with my colleague the member for Hasluck, in our role on the committee. It's something that, as a former European myself, I am very, very interested in, because we know that the EU is one of Australia's largest trading partners and enhanced links with Europe will help us here in our own region in the Pacific, but also in terms of energy security. It will also facilitate huge investment in renewable energy here in Australia, but also in sustainable, critical mineral supply across the world. Here in Australia we dig up every mineral you need to make solar panels and batteries. And we've heard from some members here today about the significant improvements we need to make in agriculture to be able to unlock the European market.

It gives me great pleasure that the government has changed so that we can continue on and move this free trade agreement along. I'm hopeful that it can conclude very soon, but I can tell you: if it weren't for that change of government, this free trade agreement would have got nowhere.

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